Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Will the World End in 2012? -- a book review

My latest BookSneeze book is Will the World End in 2012 by Raymond C. Hundley. My brother has given me reading material in the past relating to some of the various 'end of the world as we know it' scenarios, so I was really interested in reading something from a Christian point of view.

From the publisher: In the first millennia after the birth of Christ, nestled in the mountains of Central America, the Mayan people gazed at the stars and calculated days, months, years, and even the future. Their calendar, more sophisticated than any the world had known, indicated an abrupt end of time, December 21, 2012. The future they predicted is now upon us.

“There have been 149 apocalypse predictions between AD 44 and 2009,” says author Dr. Raymond Hundley. But will it really happen? In this stirring, balanced, and well-researched book, he evaluates the ten most prominent apocalypse theories and gives a surprising answer to the question everyone is asking.

His knowledge and insights lead to compelling conclusions . . . and a heartfelt call for all of humanity to look upon Jesus Christ as it seeks clarity and peace.

So, I dug in, expecting to read it over a few days. Instead, while not quite in a single sitting, I did get through most of it in a day.

I loved the format. Each chapter started with a story about a world-end prediction, and then the author explained what the theory was in a factual way. That was followed by more of an editorial description where he brought it other points of view and sometimes expressed his own opinions. Each chapter ended with a conclusion as to the liklihood of that particular scenario.

Ten chapters cover ten arguments for why the world will end in 2012. The final two chapters wrap it up, with the final chapter being strongly from a Christian point of view.

I plan to change things up and be the one passing reading material on to my brother this time.

Disclaimer: As Booksneeze Blogger, I did receive this book for free from Thomas Nelson. No other compensation was received. The fact that I received a complimentary product does not guarantee a favorable review. It does guarantee a review. A fair review. But I am not going to praise something unless I think it deserves the praise. If I don't like it, you'll hear that. And hopefully with enough detail as to why so you can decide for yourself if what I hate about it makes it perfect for your family. For more about my take on reviews, visit my blog post here.